Process of concentrating ores.



PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

A. SGHWARZ.

PROCESS OF OONGENTRATING ORBS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 14,1904.

INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT orrron,

ALFRED SOHWARZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SOHWARZ ORE TREATINGCOMPANY, OF PHCENIX, ARIZONA TERRITORY, A CORPO- RATION OF ARIZONATERRITORY.

' PROCESS OF CONCENTRATING ORES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1905- Application filed October 14, I904. Serial No.228,448.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED SoHwARz, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,and aresident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processesof Concentrating Ores, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to processes for the concentration ofores, and is based upon the use of a mixture of sulfur and a hydrocarbonas an adhesive agent, the invention, broadly stated, consisting inmixing with the pulverized ore an adhesive agent consisting of sulfur ora mixture of sulfur and a hydrocarbon, then separating said agent withthe entrapped metallic constituents from the tailings, and finallyrecovering the values from said agent.

Experiments lead to the opinion that by the use of sulfur in the mannerhereinafter described a chemical reaction takes place between themetallic constituents of the ore and the sulfur and that the action isnot solely one of adhesion. For that reason I use the term adhesiveagent in this specification as one of description merely and not as aqualifying term.

In carrying out the invention the initial mixing of the ore and adhesiveagent may be effected in various ways. The sulfur, preferably inpowdered form, may be dissolved in any of its known solvents and amixture thereof with the hydrocarbon added to the ore or a directmixture of sulfur and hydrocarbon without the use of a solvent, for theformer may be made and added to the ore, or the sulfur, with or withoutits solvent, may be first mixed with the ore and the addition of ahydrocarbon made thereafter, or the sulfur and hydrocarbon may be addedseparately to the ore and a mixture effected by heat and agitation or inany other suitable manner. The ore may be in a dry condition or water oran acid or alkaline solution added thereto in any suitable quantity. Ido not, however, wish to limit myself to any particular manner ofeffecting the desired mixture of ore, sulfur, and hydrocarbon.

The hydrocarbon employed may be one which is solid at normaltemperatures and requires to be melted for use, such as parafiin orozocerite, or a resinous hydrocarbon, such as resin, pitch, orasphaltum, or I may employ a normally liquid hydrocarbon, such as anysuitable animal, vegetable, or mineral oil. These hydrocarbons may beused singly or in combinations of two or more, it being understood thatthe constitution of the agent will depend upon the character of the oretreated, varying as the character of the ore varies.

The separation of the adhesive agent with the entrapped metallicconstituents of the ore from the tailings may be effected by treatingwith cold, heated, or boiling water or an acid or an alkaline solution,all as hereinafter more fully described.

As a specific example of my invention good results have been securedwith an adhesive agent consisting of a mixture of paraifin, resin, andsulfur. In practicing theinvention the ore is first crushed and screenedto a convenient size for handling and then mixed with a composition ofparaffin, resin, and sulfur. A convenient way is to melt the parafiinand resin together, dissolving sufficient sulfur therein to make asaturated solution. For the treatment of a free gold ore I haveproceeded by dissolving sulfur in melted resin to the point ofsaturation, using thirtyfive per cent., by weight, of the mixture ofresin and sulfur to sixty-five per cent., by weight, of parafiin. Foracopper-sulfid ore I have used fifteen per cent., by weight, of a 4compound of resin and sulfur to eighty-five per cent., by weight, ofparafiin. I do not, however, wish to limit myself to these proportions,as they may be varied to suit the particular ore treated. Thecomposition of parafiin, resin, and sulfur is then mixed with the ore inany suitable vessel provided with an agitator, heat being employed, ifnecessary, to maintain the composition in the melted condition. Ifdesired, air, steam, or gas may be injected into the mass to eifect orassist the mixing, the composition or adhesive agent being added to theore in sufiicient quantity to make a pasty mass. After an intimatemixture with all parts of the ore has been effected the mass issubjected to the action of heated or boiling water, whereby the earthyor rocky constituents are liberated or washed out and settle in thebottom of the vessel. The metallic constituents of the ore having unitedwith the adhesive agent may be skimmed or screened OE and run to acentrifugaldrier for the separation and recovery of the concentratesfrom the adhesive agent. The invention is not limited to the use ofboiling water, as water heated below that temperature is sufiicient toeffect the desired separation under certain circumstances. The termheated where used in the claims is intend- "ed to include water heatedto asufficient temperature to maintain a normally solid hydrocarbon ofthe character above specified in a melted condition, and thus to includewater heated to the boiling-point.

Instead of subjecting the mass to the action of heated or boiling water,cold water, preferably under pressure, may be injected into the mass,the effect of which will be to solidify or granulate the adhesive agent,which with the entrapped metallic constituents will be floated orscreened off, while the tailings being saturated with water willprecipitate more or less completely in the bottom of the vessel. Byremelting the adhesive agent in a suitable vessel the concentrates maybe separated and recovered therefrom by a centrifugal drier,filter-press, or other means. The mass of ore and adhesive agent mayfirst be treated with heated or boiling waterand subsequently treatedwith cold water. Also during the treatment with water, which may be madeacid or alkaline, if desired, the mass may be agitated mechanically orby the injection of air, steam, or gas.

The concentrates, if necessary, may be washed with a caustic potash orsoda solution to remove any remaining portions of the adhesive agent.

While I have described in giving a specific example of a method ofcarrying out the invention the use of a mixture of paraffin and resin,either one may be used alone with sulfur or any hydrocarbon of thecharacter above specified may be used singly or in combinations of twoor more with sulfur, the method of procedure being the same as abovedescribed, except that when using alone a normally liquid hydrocarbonthere will be no solidification or granulation of the hydrocarbon if thetreatment with cold water is selected as the means for effecting theseparation of the concentrates and the tailings.

A modification of the method above described may be practiced by theemployment of a plate similar to an ordinary amalgamation-plate, saidplate being heated and adapt-' ed to receive the adhesive agent in theform of a hydrocarbon with the addition of sulfur and over which the orewith water is run. By such method the ore may be concentrated in amanner similar to amalgamation methods.

The accompanying drawing shows in perspective one arrangement ofapparatus by which the process may be carried out.

1 designates a bin or hopper from which the pulverized ore is dischargedinto a vessel 2, provided with an agitator 3. In this vessel thepulverized ore and selective agent composed of a hydrocarbon and sulfurare intimately mixed, and from said vessel the mass is discharged into avessel 4, in which it is treated with heated or boiling wateracidulated, if desired, to effect the desired separation of theselective agent with the metallic constituents from the tailings. Theselective agent with the entrapped metallic constituents will rise tothe surface and is then run off by a trough into a storage vessel 5, inwhich said agent is maintained in a liquid condition. The separation ofthe values from the selective agent is effected by running the mass intoa centrifugal drum 6, the recovered agent being collected in a storagevessel 7, from which it may be raised by a pump 8 to the mixing vessel2. The vessels 4:, 5, and 7, may be provided with agitators, as shown,and they may also be steam-jacketed or otherwise provided with means tomaintain in a liquid condition a selective agent which is solidat-normal temperatures. The tailings may be'drawn off from the vessel/lbya pipe 9 into a storage-tank 10.

If a selective agent is used which is solid at normal temperatures, theseparation from the tailings may be effected in the vessel 4 by the useof cold water. In that case the selective agent willbe solidified orgranulated and may be collected and remelted in the vessel 5.

I am aware that it has been proposed to effeet the separation of metalsfrom their ores by mixing pulverized ore suspended in water with chloridof sulfur diluted with an oily or greasy matter, and I do not wish to beunderstood as claiming such method.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of concentrating ores consistingin mixing the ore with anadhesive agent composed of a hydrocarbon and sulfur, separating saidagent with the entrapped val ues from the tailings, and recovering thevalues from the adhesive agent.

2. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing the ore out ofcontact with water with an adhesive agent composed of a hydrocarbon andsulfur, separating said agent with the entrapped values from thetailings, and recovering the values from the adhesive agent.

3. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing the ore withan adhesive agent composed of a hydrocarbon which is solid at normaltemperatures and sulfur, separating said agent with the entrapped valuesfrom the tailings, and recovering the values from the adhesive agent.

4. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing the ore withan adhesive agent composed of a resinous hydrocarbon and sulfur,separating said agent with the entrapped values from the tailings, andrecovering the values from the adhesive agent.

5. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing the ore withan adhesive agent composed of a resinous and a non-resinous hydrocarbonand sulfur, separating said agent with the entrapped values from thetailings, and recovering the values from the adhesive agent.

6. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing the ore withan adhesive agent composed of resin, paraflin and sulfur, separatingsaid agent with the entrapped values from the tailings, and recoveringthe values from the adhesive agent.

7. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing the ore withan adhesive agent composed of resin and sulfur, separating said agentwith the entrapped values from the tailing-s, and recovering the valuesfrom the adhesive agent.

8. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing the ore withan adhesive agent composed of a hydrocarbon and sulfur, washing themixture with water, separating the said agent with its entrapped valuesfrom the tailings, and recovering the values from said agent.

9. The process of concentrating ores consisting in mixing the ore withan adhesive agent composed of a hydrocarbon and sulfur, washing themixture with heated water, separating the said agent with its entrappedval ues from the tailings, and recovering the values from said agent.

In Witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALFRED SCHWARZ. Witnesses:

E. F. PORTER, ALEXANDER S. RODMAN.

